Asynchronous Formal Class Discussion Rubric
Exemplary
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
Unacceptable
Encompasses all the
required criteria at a
highly proficient level
Meets all the basic
requirements, but …
Meets the basic
criteria for the
assignment
Meets some of the
criteria, but not at a
level of proficiency
Fails to meet the
project criteria
Knowledge
of the
Subject
Matter
Bring forth new or
expanded ideas that
reflect high-level
critical thinking on
the topic and
demonstrate practical
application
Present new or
expanded ideas and
make a practical
application
Know basic
information but don’t
apply it to an
expanded idea
Displays only a
minimal grasp of the
concepts covered
Displays no
understanding of
central concepts
Evidence of
Research
Looked at other
online resources
Doing the research
by not necessarily
making a clear
connection between
the research and a
clear idea
Don’t properly use
the research in
support of their ideas
Don’t properly use
the research in
support of their ideas
Citations contain
minor errors (i.e.,
failure to list author,
etc.)
Citations contain
errors (i.e., failure to
list author, etc.) or
no citations at all
Quoted course
content
Properly cite from
either primary or
secondary text
Apply a concept from
the research to an
original idea
Grammar,
Punctuation,
Spelling
Properly cite
resources
Excellent sentence
structure
Good sentence
structure
Varied prose
Varied prose
Excellent choice of
vocabulary
(appropriate for
subject matter)
Good choice of
vocabulary
(appropriate for
subject matter)
Few or no structural,
grammatical, or
spelling errors
Few structural,
grammatical, or
spelling errors
Does not expand
upon the central
concepts
Lack of appropriate
research
No citations
Research used does
not support or
contradicts argument
presented
Some structural,
grammatical, or
spelling errors
Numerous structural,
grammatical, or
spelling errors
Limited scope of
vocabulary used and
variety of sentence
structure
Little demonstration
of vocabulary of the
subject matter
Excessive number of
errors
No understanding of
course vocabulary
NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center: www.facdev.niu.edu: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License
Addresses
the Assigned
Topic
Directly answers the
question asked
provides additional
insights
Meets all the
assignment criteria
Originality
Evidence of original
thought apparent
throughout the
posting
Clear application of
the course concept
being discussed
Timeliness
Initial posting
completed on or
before deadline,
allowing for sufficient
time for peers to
read, reflect, and
respond to it
Response postings
completed on or
before assigned
deadline
Responses
to Others
Support or refute the
original posting with
additional evidence
Respect the views of
peers by using
academic and nonthreatening language
Directly answers the
question asked
Meets all the
requirements of the
assignment
Indirectly answers
the assigned
question
Meets the majority of
the assignment
criteria
Does not address the
assigned question
Does not address the
assigned question
Meets only minimal
assignment criteria
Does not meet any of
the assignment
criteria
Evidence of original
thought apparent
throughout the
posting with a
reference to the
assigned topic or
concept
Allusion to an original
idea but with no clear
connection to the
assigned topic or
concept
Random original
thoughts; no
cohesion among
ideas presented
No evidence of
original thought;
“This person doesn’t
have a clue!”
Initial posting
completed on or
slightly before
deadline
Posts by the
deadline; Right on
time
Postings, both initial
comments and
responses, within 1
day after the
deadline
Initial response and
comments is
submitted more than
1 day after the
deadline or not
submitted
Response postings
completed on or
before assigned
deadline
Support or refute the
original posting,
introducing a new
topic or concept
Respect the views of
peers by using
academic and nonthreatening language
Comments to peers
are 2 or more days
late or not submitted
Supports or refutes
the original posting
Respect the views of
peers by using
academic and nonthreatening language
Does not refer to the
posting directly or
simply agrees or
disagree without
explanation
Does not respect the
views of peers by
failing to use
academic and nonthreatening language
Does not address the
posting
Does not respect the
views of peers by
blatantly failing to
use academic and
non-threatening
language
NIU Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center: www.facdev.niu.edu: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License